From a tech’s perspective: How to increase service sales

While the technician at a dealership rarely gets to speak to the customers directly, there are still things that can be done to increase service sales. After all, the service advisor is relying on you to relay the right information and make the appropriate suggestions that not only serve the customer but also boost sales.

By following these steps to increase service sales, you can make yourself more valuable to the dealership. Paying attention to the needs of the customer also allows you to serve the consumer better.

1. Always Check the Oil

It doesn’t matter what the vehicle is in for, you should always check the oil. As technicians, we become accustomed to following the oil change recommendations as if it was law. However, there are plenty of vehicles coming through the service bay that has contaminated or low oil levels before it’s time for service. In fact, Consumer Reports recently exposed the fact that newer cars are going through more oil.

By taking a second to pull the dipstick, you can head off premature engine failure when the customer should be getting an oil change. Tell your customers that every car is inspected during a service appointment, with oil quality being one of the top things looked at.

2. Put Related Services Together

So often, we maintain laser-focus on the task in front of us that we fail to see the other services that are closely related to the one we are performing. One such example is the transmission service. When a car is brought to us for routine transmission servicing, why are we ignoring the needs of the differential? Isn’t the driveline in motion with the transmission, leading to wear and service requirements too?

If the power steering fluid is low, it would be simple just to top it off and send the car on its way, but we should be suggesting a power steering service at this time to double-check the system. The service advisor might not be able to pair all of the related services together without your help. Be willing to share your thoughts on the vehicles that come in and recommend what other services could be beneficial to the customer.

3. Look Beyond Service Intervals

The service advisor is great at telling the customer what the car is due for, but there’s so much that can be missed. As the technician, you get an in-depth look into how the vehicle is used. If a truck comes into the bay that is primarily used off-road, you are going to see a dirty air filter and other contamination. It would be easy to say this vehicle isn’t due for a tune-up for another 5,000 miles, but that’s the wrong response.

While the average car works well on standard service intervals, your heavy-duty customers need more and they don’t know it. Communicate with the advisor when you see a vehicle that is pushed to its limits. By offering more regular service, you help prolong the life of the vehicle and you increase service sales.

Final Thoughts

Establishing your dealership as a trusted source in the community means that you never push unnecessary service onto clients. You can increase sales in the service department without doing anything shady or manipulative. Most of the time, sales are increased simply because the technician was willing to pay attention and act accordingly.

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